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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25122781">What Was Left Behind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mr_quartermaster/pseuds/mr_quartermaster'>mr_quartermaster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>007 Fest 2020, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, During Skyfall, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Lies, M is a bitch, Moneypenny Needs a Hug, Moneypenny-centric, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Regret, Trauma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:15:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,496</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25122781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mr_quartermaster/pseuds/mr_quartermaster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eve Moneypenny was a brilliant field agent headed for the top until she took that shot in Istanbul, killing 007. Now she has to deal with the consequences and accusations that come with killing the most famous of Double-Ohs while also learning to live with the guilt of what she did.</p>
<p>     007 isn't dead, but there's not a single soul who knows this. Not a single soul who will put an end to the mess that is slowly unraveling in London after his supposed death.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>007 Fest Fancreations</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Something To Do With Killing 007...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey! It's Moneypenny Day! What better way to celebrate this beautiful, strong and badass woman than by starting a new fic with her as the main character. Beware, this one is heavy on angst and while I have chosen not to use Archive Warnings, I will tag anything. The tags may change so you should check them out regularly if you wish to avoid certain topics. Anyway, enjoy! Don't forget to comment and leave kudos!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The events in Istanbul had been enough to convince her superiors that she wasn’t fit for the field and herself that she wasn’t ready to pursue her Double-Oh status.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Something to do with killing 007…</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Patrice would’ve been her first kill. One out of two that she needed in order to acquire her licence to kill and rise in the ranks of MI6 like she had wanted to do so badly. He would’ve been the first person she had put a bullet through. Instead James had been the one to fall from that bridge with a bullet in him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Killing 007…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     She attended the funeral, standing in the back as she watched the empty casket be lowered onto the ground and the Union Flag that was draped over it be folded neatly. It was the proper military funeral that the Double-Oh deserved. M was there with Tanner right by her side, so were a few other Double-Ohs that weren’t out in missions. They were all there to honour their fallen compatriot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She shot him…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Eve didn’t even know what she was doing there, it was her fault that they were lowering 007’s empty casket to the ground under London’s fatidical wet weather. All those men and women, they knew him, they had worked with him countless times. She, instead, had worked with him once and had ended up killing him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She killed him…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     She shut her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she finally opened her eyes, she watched the escorts finish folding the Union Flag. The silence in the air was thick enough for the young woman to feel like she could choke in it. M was getting offered the flag but she didn’t move a muscle to take it. She was the closest thing to a next-of-kin that Bond had and she was basically denying it in front of everyone. Tanner just stared at her, too scared to say something. None of the other Double-Ohs were doing anything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She owed him…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Without even thinking about it twice, Eve stepped forward and reached out for the folded flag that was currently being offered to the bitter old lady whose life James had devoted to. The man holding the flag looked back and forth between the two for a couple seconds, or at least until M gave him a swift nod, and finally he handed Moneypenny the burial flag that belonged to one ‘Commander of the British Forces, James Bond.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was the least she could do.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     When she got home, she set the folded flag on a shelf after removing a few dusty books that had previously been there.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You weren’t using those anyway…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Eve could’ve sworn she heard James’s voice. She rubbed her face and headed towards her small kitchenette, uncorking a bottle of red wine and pouring herself a large glass of it. She leaned forwards against the counter as she looked at her mail, noticing an envelope with Her Majesty’s Government’s logo in it. As she opened it, she came to realise that it was a letter from the </span>
  <span>Intelligence and Security Committee, kindly inviting her to come work with them and assist the current Chairman, Gareth Mallory. It was a nice way to let her know that they no longer wanted her working at MI6.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Nobody wanted to get shot by a colleague…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     They felt uneasy around her and she could absolutely understand why. But it was M who she felt despised her the most after the ‘incident’ in Turkey. Eve had taken down her best agent and to be honest, if it had been up to her, she would’ve never pulled that trigger.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Take the bloody shot!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     M had given the order and she had ultimately paid the price. But that was just how things worked around there. Agents were just blunt instruments to be used by their handlers as they pleased. At the end of the day they washed their hands and renounced all responsibility for their actions, leaving the agents to be the ones to carry that burden.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She failed the shot, not M…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     She could lie to herself and blame M all she wanted, but at the end of the day, it had been her fault. If only she had aimed a little lower, if she had waited a bit more, if she just hadn’t listened. James wouldn’t have taken that shot. Knocking back the rest of the wine in her glass she set down the letter and kicked off her black heels before making her way to the couch. She sat down and pulled her legs up, closing her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Murderer...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The very same word had come out of M’s lips earlier that morning when Eve stepped into her office for the first time after returning from Istanbul. She never considered she would be ready for what the woman would say, but never in a million years did the young agent imagine that the spymaster would imply that she had intentionally killed Bond.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “You just saw the opportunity and you took it. You do know that killing your fellow agents does not count towards your Double-Oh status, don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Eve had been too shocked to even speak in her defence, her lips parter and the air knocked out of her by the woman’s poisonous words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Perfect marksmanship scores and for what? Mm?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     She was taking punch after punch without even defending herself, it was painful to watch.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Ma’am, with all due respect–”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     However, it wasn’t the false accusation of having killed Bond on purpose that hurt the most, it was what came next.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Was it his title you were after? 007?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Who was the sexist, misogynistic dinosaur now?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Eve’s eyes widened and she hurried to shake her head. “Of course not! I was just following your orders! The train–it was moving too fast a-and they were moving as well! Hitting that target was impossible!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “And yet you did it!” M snapped, turning away from her to look out the window as she shook her head. “As of this moment, you are relieved from all your duties, agent Moneypenny. I would thank you for your service, but you did us no favour.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she nodded slowly and turned around, walking out of the office with her head down and her lips pursed tightly to keep them from quivering. That job was all she had ever wanted, all she had ever worked for, and now, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She killed James Bond…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Tanner stood silently outside the office. He had heard it all, but had the decency not to say anything to the young woman as she walked past him and headed downstairs. She passed the shooting range and went into the women’s bathroom by the gym, the one that was always empty and the one place where she knew she knew she would have some privacy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Traitor…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Tears pooled in her eyes as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, hurrying to blink them away and quickly wipe them off with the ivory sleeves of her silk blouse. She spent a while in there, drying tears from her eyes in silence before she heard a soft knock on the door that made her reach for her gun immediately, except it wasn’t there. She had turned it in as soon as she returned from the mission, along with the rest of the kit. Still, some things, like her instincts, would never go away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “It’s me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Tanner?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Out of every person in the building, the last one she expected to come knocking on the women’s bathroom door was Bill Tanner, M’s Chief of Staff. They had spoken a few times, but the bloke had always seemed a bit too… awkward for Eve’s taste.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Can I come in?” He asked, which just seemed to confirm Eve’s theory about him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “If you must…” She replied, trying her best not to scoff and simply attempting to figure out what the hell he was trying to do.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     The door opened slowly and the older man stepped in cautiously, keeping his gaze on the ground as if he was scared of walking in on something inappropriate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “It’s just the two of us in here.” Eve assured him as the door closed behind him and he actually sighed in relief, straightening up. There was a moment of awkward silence shared between the two of them while Tanner looked at her and noticed the couple stray tears streaking her cheeks. “Yes?” She went on to ask, seeing as it didn’t seem like he was about to start talking anytime soon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “Are you okay?” Tanner asked as he seemed to finally snap out of his daze, shaking his head softly. He walked up to one of the stalls and grabbed some toilet paper from one of them, offering it to her. “She was pretty harsh on you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I–yes, thank you.” Eve swallowed hard and nodded, looking down at the piece of toilet paper. “I’m fine, really.” Putting on a small, but tightlipped smile, she nodded. “That’s just how she is, I knew better than to expect any sympathy from her.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Tanner looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed in concern and shook his head slowly. “Eve? It’s not about sympathy. She practically chose you as her scapegoat.” Now, Tanner knew M, he knew that the old woman wasn’t dealing well with her own feelings either and for her it was easier to take it out on others than to face them, but he couldn’t allow a young agent like Eve to think that it had been her fault.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “These things happen. We all make mistakes.” He said softly, so softly that Eve almost found his voice soothing, had it not been for the fact that the storm raging in her mind was still much louder than the man standing in front of her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     “I didn't type in the wrong code or accidentally put a file in the wrong cabinet. I killed a man.” She said, leaning back against the wall. Saying it out loud made her burden so much heavier, slowly, she slid down to the floor, keeping her back pressed against the wall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     Tanner followed her down, lowering himself to his knees as he crouched down. “Eve, we all make mistakes in this line of work. It’s not easy doing what we do…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>     For as long as he could, Tanner stayed with her in that bathroom, trying to make her feel better after having heard everything that M had said to her. It had been enough to break anyone, the toughest Double-Oh. She didn’t deserve it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"What had happened to them? What had happened to her? How could he help?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm happy to introduce one of my favourite OCs, Mason, created out of two lines in Spectre haha I'm anxious to see what you guys think of him and his relationship with our dear Moneypenny. Enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> Killer... </em>
</p><p> </p><p>     It didn’t take long before Eve heard the front door of her flat unlock. Her eyes fluttered open to see the one person who could probably make her feel better stepping inside; Mason.</p><p> </p><p>     The two had been together for almost ten months. They had met after Eve had ended up in hospital with a near-fatal bullet wound, and Mason had been the surgeon to operate on her. He had fallen in love with the agent the moment he saw her, but had seen so many awfully good-looking Double-Ohs going to visit her during the few days she had been hospitalised, that he figured he could never stand a chance; surely she must be dating one of them. Little did he know, the thing she craved the most was the sweet sense of normality that dating a civilian could bring her, instead of the bumpy ride that attempting to be in a relationship with an agent like her could be.</p><p> </p><p>     It had taken R’s very obvious hints for Mason to realise that Eve was, in the boffin’s words: ‘Single, painfully single’. As soon as the agent was discharged, Mason offered to buy her some takeaway and have a date at her place, since she was still recovering and needed to rest–doctor’s orders.</p><p> </p><p>     At first, she had kept her job a secret from him, instead telling him she worked for the Transit Department. Surprisingly, he accepted it and didn’t question a word of what she said (although that didn’t mean that he bought any of it. No one who worked for the transit department got injured as often as she did, nor got shot with that kind of calibre). What was even more surprising was the fact that even with all those lies and secrets, their relationship worked. He didn’t pressure her for answers, never made her uncomfortable and she always told him as much as she could, staying as close to the truth as possible, but keeping out all the details that could possibly endanger him.</p><p> </p><p>     It was about eight months into their relationship when Eve realised that Mason might as well be ‘the one’. Then, she finally told him the truth. She sat him down and told him everything; where she really worked, what she really did… And much to her amazement, he didn't run away, get mad at her or feel hurt by her hiding the truth. He understood her reasons and accepted them. She did it to keep him safe, after all. How could he get mad at her for that?</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey.” Mason called as he stepped inside and locked the door. As soon as he turned around and saw her, he furrowed his eyebrows in concern. He suddenly remembered the funeral when he noticed the black heels by the kitchen and the equally dark dress she was wearing. She hated that dress more than anything and only wore it on formal occasions.</p><p> </p><p>     “I thought you weren’t going to the funeral.” He murmured as he took his coat off and made his way towards the couch to sit down with her.</p><p> </p><p>     “I changed my mind.” She said softly, getting up and going to get more wine from the kitchen. “Would you like a glass?”</p><p> </p><p>     Mason shook his head softly, watching her. Even though she told him almost everything nowadays, she had told him almost nothing about that funeral. Only that a partner from work had passed away. He didn’t know how close they had been or how much the man’s death had really affected her.</p><p> </p><p>     Much more than she let on, apparently. This dance around the flat, was she avoiding him? Trying to move away from him? She <em> never </em> did that.</p><p> </p><p>     He tilted his head to the side and rested it on his fist while he supported his arm on the couch’s backrest and watched the woman pour herself a second glass of red wine. Slowly, Eve made her way to the couch again and sat facing away from him. She carefully leaned back until her back rested against his chest, and then melted against him with a sigh so heavy it might as well have been her last breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Eve?”</p><p> </p><p>     Mason’s voice was soft, and not pushy in the least as he buried his face in her curls, inhaling the sweet scent from her perfume. It wasn’t the exotic and sultry one she usually wore, this one was simply fruity and floral. It wasn’t like her—something was really off, and even small details like those gave her away.</p><p> </p><p>     After her last trip abroad their lives had taken an unexpected turn–and not for the best. She was at home much more often than she had been, but thanks to his work and the fact that he was often on call, he couldn’t spend as much time with her as he would've wanted to. He did notice the bottles of red wine that seemed to endlessly multiply in their bin every night when he arrived, though.</p><p> </p><p>     She wasn’t talking to him like she usually did–she was keeping something to herself and he could tell. Often, at night, she ended up moving from the bed to the couch and turning on the TV to watch whatever was on until she could fall asleep, leaving Mason alone in the bed.</p><p> </p><p>     He used to cook when he got home, and she would usually play some music and help him with it. The two of them would make dinner and enjoy it while watching TV. Now he cooked by himself because usually she was too tired to get off the couch–or the bed–and join him in the kitchen. There was no music anymore because he never wanted to risk waking her up whenever she managed to get some extra sleep. There was no show while they ate because she never felt like it. She did like to ask how his day went and have him tell her all about it, though–it helped get her head away from all her trouble.</p><p> </p><p>     His guess as to why their lives had suddenly taken a turn in that awful direction?</p><p> </p><p>     Something must’ve gone wrong with her last assignment. Something <em> really </em> bad must’ve happened to her. Bad enough that she thought she couldn’t even tell him. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would be, but he knew that she would have to let it out sooner rather than later, lest she wanted to risk damaging herself further.</p><p> </p><p>     It hurt him to see her like that, to hear the heaviness of her sigh, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. He slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, setting his hand over her stomach, just holding her close to him while he pressed a tender kiss to her bare shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>     “You know I’m always here for you, don’t you?” A sweet offering from a man that was just as sweet, but for Eve it was just an invitation to confess that she had killed Bond.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Murderer... </em>
</p><p> </p><p>     She felt like she was going to be sick. She wondered if it was the wine or the amount of feelings trapped inside of her. </p><p> </p><p>     “Eve?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Traitor... </em>
</p><p> </p><p>     Moneypenny suddenly sat upright, nodding quickly. “Sorry, I’m just really tired. I think I’ll go to bed early tonight.” She murmured before she took a long swig of wine, downing half her glass. She handed the rest of it to Mason, who only took the glass from her hand and nodded softly.</p><p> </p><p>     “Of course.” He murmured. Taking her hand, he helped her find her way to her feet before she disappeared down the hallway towards their bedroom, leaving him alone with an unfinished glass of wine and a pair of heels in the kitchen that he’d have to pick up if he didn’t want to trip on his way out the next morning.</p><p> </p><p>     What had happened to them? What had happened to <em> her </em>? How could he help?</p><p> </p><p>     All those questions circled his brain as he got up from the couch and went to put away the used glass. On his way to the kitchen, he finished the rest of the wine for Eve, setting the glass down in the dishwasher and going to open the fridge. He didn’t even feel like cooking that night, so he was determined to find some leftovers in there.</p><p> </p><p>     It was then that the open letter on the counter caught his eye and he couldn’t help but lean in and look at it. He only gave it a quick glance over, but it was more than enough for him. He knew that Eve worked for the MI6 and he knew that she was a field agent, so why would they suddenly want her to leave that for what essentially was the job of a glorified secretary?</p><p> </p><p>     He was only a civilian, but even for him, that sounded like a punishment. Was that the reason why she had been acting like that lately, or just a result of something much bigger?</p><p> </p><p>     After wondering about that throughout his dinner, Mason picked up the black heels from the kitchen floor and headed into the bedroom with them. He quietly stepped in and set them down by the bed before he kicked off his own shoes and took his white shirt off, putting on a plain grey t-shirt instead. He leaned over to look at the vague shape under the covers, checking to see if Eve had fallen asleep already.</p><p> </p><p>     She had.</p><p> </p><p>     Smiling softly to himself, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple before he got up again and pulled his jeans off. He moved in the comfortable silence of the flat, brushing his teeth and washing his face before he finally joined her in bed, pressing close behind her and wrapping his arm around her protectively.</p><p> </p><p>     “Sleep well.” Mason whispered to the sleeping woman as he closed his eyes before drifting off.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     She was back in Istanbul, holding a rifle in her hands and looking through its sight as the old woman yelled orders in her ear.</p><p> </p><p>     “I may have a shot.” She could see two figures fighting on top of the train while she desperately tried to get a clean shot before she ran out of time.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s not clean. Repeat, I do not have a clean shot!”</p><p> </p><p>     The train horn blared and she turned to look at the tunnel the train was about to go into.</p><p> </p><p>     “There’s a tunnel ahead, I’m gonna lose them!” The agent called desperately, looking through the sight once more, unable to tell apart the blurry figures on top of the train.</p><p> </p><p>    M’s voice reappeared in her ear, “Can you get into a better position?” She asked hastily.</p><p> </p><p>     “Negative. There’s no time!” Eve was starting to realise there was something wrong as the figures came closer and she saw that the man struggling with Patrice on top of the train wasn’t Bond.</p><p> </p><p>     “Take the shot.”</p><p> </p><p>     No, it wasn’t Bond at all, it was Mason who she was aiming at and trying desperately not to shoot while she shook her head and moved her finger away from the trigger.</p><p> </p><p>   “I said, take the shot!” M insisted, yelling into the communications device and making Eve’s ears ring.</p><p> </p><p>     “I can’t, I may hit him!” He couldn’t hurt him, not him, not Mase. but somehow, she couldn’t stop her finger from moving back to the trigger. Her heart was beating at a thousand miles per hour, hammering against her ribcage.</p><p> </p><p>     “Take the bloody shot!”</p><p>
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</p><p>     The sound of the rifle being fired echoed around her. She had closed her eyes before taking the shot, but she was certain of the outcome. Absolutely certain. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>     “Agent down.” She heard her voice, only it wasn’t her who spoke. She still couldn’t utter a single word.</p><p> </p><p>     She opened her eyes immediately to find herself standing on top of that train with a wound on her abdomen and a bloodstain on her shirt that only grew with every second that went by. She felt sick, but she didn’t have enough time to process that nor the fact that she had apparently just shot herself before she fell off the train’s car and down the bridge.</p><p> </p><p>     The fall seemed endless and even though she just closed her eyes and waited for her body to crash against the cold waters of the river that flowed below her, the impact never came. She just kept falling and falling and falling, hearing that shot again and again along with M’s words.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Take the bloody shot! </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     She woke up with a start, crying out as she suddenly sat upright and gasped for breath. Mason woke up too, as soon as he heard her, but it took him a couple of seconds to realise what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>     “Eve?” He mumbled, reaching beside him to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. “Are you okay?” He stifled a yawn as he pushed himself up to sit upright, only to have Eve suddenly push his t-shirt up to frantically inspect his torso as if looking for something.</p><p> </p><p>     “What–”</p><p> </p><p>     “I need to make sure.” She simply said, sounding so on edge that it scared him.</p><p> </p><p>     “Eve.” He tried again, looking up at her as she looked for an imaginary wound on his body. Mason had no idea of what was going on but he could tell that she was hardly awake and that a nightmare was responsible for that behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m sorry…” Her voice cracked and with it, his heart. </p><p> </p><p>     Mason grabbed her hands tightly, refusing to let go even as she kept trying to make sure he was okay. He pulled her close and finally wrapped his arms around her, holding her shivering form tightly to his frame</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m here. I’m fine. Everything is alright.” What she could have dreamt of to leave her like that, he couldn’t even begin to imagine. All he could do was try and help her calm down by assuring her that everything was okay.</p><p> </p><p>     It took a while, but he finally felt her start to give in and relax against him. Slowly, he pulled away just enough to look into her wide, scared eyes, which met his own in the dim lighting from the lamp.</p><p> </p><p>     “I killed him, Mase.” Eve whispered, unable to keep the secret any longer. “I killed 007.”</p><p> </p><p>     The room was absolutely silent for more than a minute while Mason processed this. He was familiar with the codename 007, having heard it once or twice before from Eve. He knew that he would be the one accompanying her on her assignment in Turkey, but never in a million years would he have imagined that was the reason why she had been acting like that for the past week.</p><p> </p><p>     “The funeral… was it… his funeral?” Mason asked slowly, watching as she looked down and nodded. “I see.” He murmured. </p><p> </p><p>     “What was his name?” He asked then, figuring it might be better for Eve to talk about it than to keep it all in.</p><p> </p><p>     She looked surprised by the question, somehow expecting him to pull away and accuse her of being a murderer, but deep inside her she knew that Mason would never do anything like that.</p><p> </p><p>     “Bond. James Bond.”</p><p> </p><p>     Somehow, the name was familiar for Mason. For the past week, he had listened to her muttering it in her sleep, afraid that it might mean something else. So the fact that it belonged to her fallen workmate, was a bit of a relief for him. Not that he would ever doubt her commitment to their relationship nor whether she was faithful to him or not. But after hearing another man’s name in his bed more than once, he couldn’t help but wonder.</p><p> </p><p>     “Alright, why don’t I make us both a cup of tea and you can tell me what happened. Is that okay with you?” He said, rubbing her back gently as she nodded softly. “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah.” Eve sighed softly. She didn’t want to relive those memories, but she knew that would be the only way to move past them and if she trusted one person to help her carry that burden, it was Mason.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't forget to comment and leave kudos!</p>
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